Together We Can Start Anew
by Blondiiloli
Summary: Oneshot. Presea has spent her entire life in misery. Now Kratos Aurion, a man of shame, is the only one who cn bring Presea out of the dark. Or will it be the other way around? Because maybe time will finally side with the two... KratosXPresea


**TITLE: Together we can start anew**

**PARINGS: KratosXPresea**

**Disclaimer: Here's a shocker, I don't own Tales of Symphonia.**

_**Together we can start anew**_

"It used to be such a quaint town…" Presea Combatir whispered to her self as she sat on a tall ledge, overlooking the ruins of Heimdall. After the fall of the Tower of Salvation the small town was almost lost in the rubble and dirt pilling over it. The young wood cutter planted her ax into the ground and sighed, "How could Lloyd have so easily forgiven Kratos? Isn't he partly responsible for this catastrophe…" she trailed off. Why wouldn't he be forgiven?

She closed her eyes, as she felt the wind brush her pink hair behind her. The two small bands holding her hair back slipped out, freeing the cherry blossom strands. "Kratos…" she whispered and shook her head, opening her eyes, "What is this feeling? Why do I think about that angel? Is he not still my enemy?" She looked at the sky as if to find her answers in the stars. The only response she received was a large gust of wind, which made her step back. The stars blinked, almost flickering on and off at different times.

"Presea?" a deep male voice said from behind her. Presea jumped up slightly, and turned to face Kratos, who was standing behind her. The angel folded his arms across his chest, "When I heard someone leave the inn, I had assumed it to have been Lloyd so I followed you out here."

"Oh," the woodcutter replied quietly, "I am sorry, Lloyd…is not here…"

"It would appear not," the angel sighed, "However, what may I ask brings you out here?" he stepped forward to hear Presea's answer.

"I could not sleep. This could be my last night on earth…"

Kratos' eyes widened slightly, "Why would you say that?"

The small girl looked at him sadly, "I do not know for sure whether or not I will survive the final battle with Mithos."

Kratos looked at Presea through his auburn bangs, which covered his face, "I feel that what you are saying is rational. Mithos is not a foe to be taken lightly…I learned that the hard way." He took another step forward, now standing next to Presea. The small girl looked up at Kratos.

"But I feel it does not matter," She lowered her eye lids, "I am not as young as people think, and I have no home to go to."

Kratos shook his head, "I am not as young as I appear either…" sadness crossed his usually emotionless expression, "I do not know for sure what is in store for me afterwards either…but Lloyd, he taught me that dying is never the way out."

"Lloyd is an idealist," Presea whispered, "He always seems so sure of himself."

Kratos smiled a little, "You sometimes remind me of Anna. You were both put through the same experiment."

"Anna?" Presea asked bewildered. She had been told that Anna was Kratos' deceased wife, "Is she the one who is buried outside of Lloyd's home?"

Kratos nodded, "That is Anna," he sighed, "I still wish I could have saved her. I never was able to realize how much she was suffering…"

Presea's expression changed to a dismal one as she began to speak, "As a fellow victim of the Angelus Project, I can tell you how Anna may have felt."

Kratos turned to face the sky, "And how do you think she felt?"

Presea closed her eyes, trying to remember the pain. She felt tears come to her eyes, so she kept them closed. It had been so long since she had last cried, now would not be the time to start. So she sighed and continued to speak, "When you are infused with the crystal, you finally feel worthwhile. But as time goes by, nothing changes. You begin to look for a release from all of your pain, anyone, who will take time to care about you," a slight smile spread across Presea's face, "Anna was lucky to have you. I know that's what she wants you to know…"

Kratos looked at the ground, "But I couldn't even protect her in the end."

"But you stuck by her, until there was nothing left to do. In the end you freed her."

He raised an eyebrow, "You mean I killed her."

Presea opened her eyes, and held back her tears, as she too remembered she could not save someone important to her, "She would have only continued to suffer. She would have suffered until she killed herself," she sighed, her breath becoming visible in the dropping temperature, "Alicia begged the one she loved to kill her. I think in the end, she was given the ending she desired. She knew she would die, but she wanted Regal to be the one to do it."

"Are you saying it was better for me to have killed Anna, then to have allowed Kvar to do so?"

"Well," she whispered, "What would you rather have happen to you? Would you rather Anna kill you, or have Rodyle do it?"

Kratos thought for a second. To die at the hands of an enemy would show total defeat and shame. He would rather someone he loves do that job. But was Presea right? Is Anna truly happy? He looked at Presea once again, "I understand."

Presea tried to smile, but now the tears were causing her so much pain, that she lost her balance and tumbled over the ledge, "Ugh…" she groaned, as the tears streamed from her face.

"Presea!" Kratos called as he reached out his hand and dove off of the ledge, his two wings sprouting from his back. But he was too late, Presea hit the ground with a thud, just as he landed gently beside her, "Presea! Answer me…" he said again, lifting the small girl onto his lap. _(Am I truly unable to protect anyone?)_ He thought angrily to himself, _(Presea, we both went through the same things, didn't we? Because of tonight, I feel I have a much stronger connection to you then-)_

Presea slowly grumbled and opened her blue eyes, looking into the eyes of the angel. Tears began to stream down her face and for the first time, she felt safe. This is where she belonged, "Thank you Kratos," she whispered.

"I-I didn't do anything," he said.

Presea smiled through waterfalls of tears, "But, you didn't let me die."

_That's right_

_When Anna fell_

_I was too late_

_But when Presea fell…_

_Even though I don't feel like I did it for no reason_

_And not just for redemption._

_I was able to help her_

"It wasn't just because I wanted to prove to Anna that I could protect someone," he gave off a very rare, but amazing smile.

Presea got a slightly confused look on her face, "But now she knows…"

Kratos sighed, "I wouldn't jump off a cliff for just anyone." Then he looked at her.

Presea felt herself blush slightly as she leaned into Kratos' supportive arms, "I wouldn't either," and when Presea said that, small specks of light drifted from the now almost glowing, night sky.

"We should probably head back now. Can you walk?" he asked, helping Presea to stand up. She chuckled a little and breathed in.

"Yes, I can walk. I am not willing to be a burden." She began to walk forward.

"That's good." The angel replied, following Presea back to the inn. But then he felt the presence of someone and he turned around, the specks of light becoming larger. He bowed his head deeply, "Thank you Anna."

Presea too, felt the presence of someone embrace her. Actually, she felt two embraces. One small pink wing wrapped around her from the left, and one feathery white one enveloped her from the right. _(Alicia? Anna?) _She thought to herself and smiled, _(Thank you. I finally like I can really move on, and push forward. Did you know? Today is actually my 28th birthday.) _She looked at he former angel behind her and smiled, _(We can find a place in the world where we can both fit I for the future has only just begun. Time is finally on my side.)_

_But once again time betrayed Presea Combatir_

_After the final battle with Mithos_

_Kratos disappeared…_

_But something kept telling her…_

_"Presea, it's never too late"_


End file.
